I wanted to extend a "Big Howdy" to you - Obviously you are all eager for answers - and there are many miners here with excellent ones.

This is the part of the yearly cycle when we Ol'e Sleepy Pooh Bears are just coming out from the long winter naps- and it takes quite a while (and gallons of coffee) for us to get moving.

So yes, this time of year everything is just beginning to get ramped up for another mining season.

"Things" have generally been a bit slower than usual over the last few years - all because of the political / legal shortsightedness caused by certain enviro and pressure groups. Certainly that situation can not continue for much longer before that cannibalization will auto-digest itself out. Until that happens most just patiently are forced to wait.

Now, some will transfer their activities to other regions to escape that pressure while others will improvise, adapt and position themselves to overcome those artificial barriers. Obstructionists, eventually and inevitably, will simply follow the very same route that the Bolsheviks, the Hippies, the Yuppies and others like them have in the past - they will just grow older, wiser and more like me - a Gentle Ol'e Pooh Bear. Mostly it will just take a lot of patience and time.

Of course, even Gentle Ol'e Pooh Bears sometimes are forced hold their ground. Led by other Ol'e Courageous Warrior Pooh Bears and the attendant Ol'e Legal Eagles they take head on, in the now soiled courts and halls of the legislatures, keeping the pressure on to correct the prior self serving legislation and thence the attendant policies and practices associated with them.

So, forgive us our weariness, it has and will be a long fight - and we're getting a bit old as well.

As to the future - Ho Boy! - will that be something to see! New products and techniques are popping up all the time ---- AND ---- since we've worked around to that subject again - do you have some/any things you'd like to discuss? Maybe a question or two? After all, a pearl starts out with just a simple grain of sand.

This forum has been slow for far too long and it is disappointing to see nothing discussed for so long. I'd love to see long rants about equipment, both good and bad. It would be great to have long debates about mats for stream sluices, highbankers, and dredges. There is certainly no shortage of opinions.

I am working on the assumption that nothing will change in the regulations from last year, so I am adapting as well as I can by making a floating sluice of my own. It has been a mostly wonderful task trying to plan and assemble something stable, efficient, and fun to play with. I think I have most everything figured out, but I have thought that many times before. Currently my thoughts are mostly focused on the mat configuration.

I hope others will chime in as the season gets closer, but the silence won't curb my enthusiasm. I am as eager to see gold in the pan as a man can be. I hope to see you all on the river.

I may not know much, but I have no problem sharing that lack of knowledge. Toss out a gold related subject and I'll give an opinion... no politics or religion though. I don't go there. Just keep in mind that you may already know far more than me.

LoL the only gold I have found to date was in a sample I got with my gold claw LoL but I do read and watch a lot of videos being from the gold barren land of Texas. But I have dreams and all the time in the world as I am a disabled veteran. I plan on coming to the north county for the summer and hitting Quartzite AZ in the winter. Still confused about the use of my battery powered sluice and all the rules that are imposed on minning in CA.

Just a old grunt with a Gold Duster dry washer and a 6" mini power sluice and a bucket of dreams

Ok I have read and reread all I can find on power sluice and highbankers and have found no rules or restrictions on those only suction dredgers can someone please help me understand some of the rules and regulations

Just a old grunt with a Gold Duster dry washer and a 6" mini power sluice and a bucket of dreams

As I understand the rules, we are not currently allowed to use anything motorized to find gold within 300 feet (Yards?) from the water; no highbankers, power sluices... nothing with a motor or engine. That was supposed to change this month, but it appears we are stuck with these rules for another year. That is why I am making my floating sluice and why Dave is using his on the group events. I am ASSUMING that you could use your power sluice if you were far enough from the river, but I'd like a second opinion on that. The current rules for gold miners are horrible in California, but folks are still finding gold and having fun. We are all frustrated, but we do the best we can and hope things will one day return to the way it used to be. I hope you are able to get out for a visit to the claims one day.

As I understand, ANYTHING motorized used in the process of recovering minerals(gold) within 300 feet of a stream is defined as dredging and is outlawed....... Due to a bad definition of suction dredging

I plan on coming up this weekend to run a recirculating highbanker I'll bring a tape measure and I'll be a hundred yards off the river . Or take everything home and run it at home that's a lot of buckets of dirt